Industries such as oil, gas, and petrochemicals encounter a multifaceted challenge when it comes to the transportation of diverse substances through pipelines. The process relies heavily on two-phase flow, particularly in the case of seabed pipelines responsible for conveying oil and natural gas. In our study, the intricate dynamics of pressure fluctuations in horizontal seabed pipelines were comprehensively investigated through the use of simulation software. Nevertheless, the software employed had its limitations as it failed to account for economic considerations. To address this limitation, the integration of a genetic algorithm was undertaken, which encompassed constraints related to the initial investment, thereby contributing to the enhancement of cost-effectiveness in pressure drop calculations. Additionally, a novel parameter was introduced into the Baker model, leading to improvements in both technical efficiency and economic viability. It was observed that augmenting the weight of the initial investment constraint resulted in a reduction in the optimal pipeline diameter, following a third-degree curve. Furthermore, the research findings indicated that a 4% increase in water shear led to a 14.76% decrease in frictional pressure drop within vertical pipes and a 3.5% reduction in horizontal pipes. Conversely, as the gas-to-oil ratio was increased, frictional pressure drop surged by 116.87% in vertical pipes and 81.69% in horizontal pipes. This valuable information can be harnessed to optimize pipeline design and operations in the demanding underwater environments commonly encountered in these industries.

Aims: This study aims to investigate 8-OHdG parameter levels in three groups based on female factor, male factor, and unexplained infertility (unexp), as well as on three variables: follicular fluid, granulosa cells, and serum, along with oocyte quality and embryo quality, and their associations with pregnancy and live birth rates.\nMethods: The groups were formed based on indications of female factor, male factor, and unexplained infertility. A total of 195 patients were included in the study, with 65 patients in each group. Follicular fluid and granulosa cell samples were obtained through oocyte retrieval (OPU) procedures during IVF (in vitro fertilization) cycles, and venous blood samples collected before the procedure were used. 8-OHdG levels, a sensitive indicator of DNA damage, were evaluated in follicular fluid, granulosa cells, and serum samples preserved at -80°C using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method.\nResults: Statistical differences were observed among the groups regarding treatment success, live birth rates, oocyte quality, and embryo quality. When examining 8-OHdG levels, differences between the groups were found in both follicular fluid and serum samples. It was determined that higher treatment success rates and live birth rates were higher in groups with high total oocyte and total embryo quality.\nConclusion: 8-OHdG is a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage and an indicator of DNA repair capacity with its reactive oxygen species (ROS) suppression properties. This study is the first to evaluate follicular fluid, granulosa cells, and serum levels in three patient groups with different etiologies undergoing infertility treatment. However, the study\'s limitations include the small sample sizes in the groups and the abundance of indicators related to oxidative stress parameters. Comprehensive studies including various parameters within these groups and variables are needed.

This theoretical research explores the potential of applying the learning organisation metaphor within the context of a local municipality to enhance service delivery to its communities. The study examines the implications of embracing Senge\'s disciplines, namely personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking, for driving a transformation toward a learning organisation. It establishes how the concept of a learning organisation can be understood and applied to facilitate individual, team, and organisational learning within the municipality. By investigating various case studies and examining literature from various authorities, this article also aims to stimulate dialogue among practitioners and scholars on the efficacy of adopting a learning organisation approach within the municipal context, therefore, the grounded theory method was followed to attain the aim. Findings highlight the potential of the learning organisation metaphor as a catalyst for improving service delivery and enhancing community engagement. The limitation of the current study is its focus on a literature review and the study of one local municipality. It is suggested that its implementation warrants further research and practice in the realm of local governance; and that further study could include three or more municipalities located in various provinces within South Africa, using either qualitative, quantitative research methods or the mixed methods approach.

An investigation of the decomposition of the polynomial of the form (N(p))/(D(p)) into partial fractions is conducted in this article. Two approaches to the decomposition of the fraction are outlined, to enhance the teaching of the concept to students. Many Calculus textbooks give common rules for the decomposition of (N(p))/(D(p)) into Partial Fractions. The rule that if the denominator D(p)=〖(p〗^2-a^2)(bp^2+cp+d), for bp^2+cp+d an irreducible quadratic expression, and that the degree of the numerator N is less than that of the denominator D, that is, deg⁡(N)

A computational model is constructed and an algorithm for investigation of the stability of a three-layered sloping shell supported by transverse stiffness ribs is developed. The variational method, based on the principle of possible displacements, is used to derive the differential stability equations for the region of the shell enclosed between the edges, as well as the conditions along the edge lines and along the edges of the shell. There was developed a program for the numerical implementation of the author\'s methodology, it was implemented in the Wolfram Mathematica environment. It is shown that there is a finite value of the moment of inertia of the ribs that supports the shell, at which the maximum critical stress (the critical moment of inertia of the rib) can be reached, which is determined from the stability equation. As an example, we consider a square in plan shell, supported by one and three stiffness ribs. The values of the critical moment of inertia of the rib are presented, which were determined both with regard to the edge Reissner effect and without taking it into account. The dependences of the critical load parameter on the linear dimensions of the shell, reinforced by one and three transverse stiffness ribs, are plotted.

The study of witchcraft in Africa is hampered by methodological problems which are the result of the use of the Eurocentric materialistic belittling paradigm. To avoid this pitfall, our paper offered a new methodological approach which relies on: (1) The scientificity of the African indigenous epistemology and its superiority to the Eurocentric view. This eschews any connotation of superstition as far as African values are concerned.  (2) The distinct existence of the divine, human and demonic initiatory lore in African which corner witchcraft to the demonic trend. (3) Witchcraft can be empirically studied as the reverse of the practice of the divine mystery. This paper recommends the Kôngo religion as the best paradigm in this study, because it is scientific and it enables the scholar to seize the different aspects of the ATR.

Se presenta el argumento de W. T. Stace sobre el realismo señalando no que éste sea falso sino solamente que no hay absolutamente ninguna razón para considerar que sea verdadero y por tanto no tenemos por qué creerlo. Esto se aplica a la discusión de la pregunta: ¿Cómo sabemos que los átomos existen? Haciendo referencia a algunas de las respuestas científicas más importantes conocidas que son en orden cronológico: i) La ley de las proporciones definidas o Ley de Proust, ii) la teoría cinética de los gases, iii) el movimiento Browniano y, iv) imágenes de microscopio de efecto túnel.

Pavement thickness design is rapidly transitioning from empirical methods developed in the 1960’s to a more modern and adaptable Mechanistic Empirical framework. The limitations of the AASHTO empirical design system and frequent extrapolations leading to overly conservative designs are motivating the consideration of the new AASHTO‐approved Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) and Mechanistic-Empirical Design Software. Design and construction of perpetual pavements, using mechanistic principles in combination with endurance limits, have also become a viable option as agencies seek long‐life, high‐performing pavement structures. This study was motivated due to incessant failures and low-performing pavement structures in Nigeria leading to increased rate of accidents. It has focused on comparisons between the Empirical 1993 AASHTO Guide and the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-E PDG) methodology for flexible and rigid pavements. The comparisons were made via a detailed review of available literature. Throughout the report, the implicit assumption is made that the M-E PDG predictions are closer to true values than those from the 1993 AASHTO Guide. With capabilities beyond the usual empirical design methods therefore, recommendation and adoption of the utilization of the MEPDG for pavement development in Nigeria was made for cost effective and structurally adequate pavements that will serve stakeholders for their full design life.

The paper presents the elucidation of the concept of migration and theories describing the process of migration, determines the issue of openness to immigration and presents its theoretical explanation. The factors determining the attitude towards immigration and immigrants are examined by dividing the factors into the main groups of economic and social-cultural factors. Analysis of immigration trends in Lithuania is presented. The paper aims to develop theoretical framework for assessment of employer openness to immigrants by revealing the main factors determining the attitudes of employers to labour immigrants and apply this framework in order to determine whether it is possible to integrate labour immigrants into the labour market in Lithuania.

This article has received the considerable critical attention that seeking to enhance sustainability disclosure may essentially make progress firms’ market valuation. It aims to provide the corporate sustainability disclosure level organized according to the “7+1” core subjects of ISO 26000 and then set out to assess the effectiveness of sustainability reporting on the listed firms’ market valuation during the period 2010-2015. To achieve this objective, data were collected from a sample of 98 Iranian listed firms at the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) and generalized method of moments (GMM) approach was conducted for a dynamic panel data to evaluate the effect of the sustainability reporting level on the listed firms’ market valuation. As can be seen from the results, the overall extent of sustainability disclosure arranged in accordance with the low rate of sustainability reporting for listed firms in TSE. It was also found that the sensitive firms have a greater level of corporate sustainability disclosure than the other firms. Moreover, sustainability reporting has been shown to be related to market valuations in which firms activating in sensitive industries environmentally with sustainability reporting had higher market valuations than firms activating in non-sensitive industries with sustainability reporting. Our “7+1” sustainability disclosure practice aspects all together with their basic measurement items can be applied as a checklist for assessing how well sustainability disclosure practices are performed at TSE.

Data are important to assist decision-making in relation to the organizational goals. However, the trustworthiness of organizational data in relation to achieving the organizational goals is often questioned because of the vast amount of organizational data available. This paper advances the understanding of the organizational goals model based on ontology. This refers to the importance of assisting the organization to utilize relevant organizational data for decision-making in relation to the organizational goals. Therefore, domain experts and entrepreneurs can make a decision to what extend the organizational goals are achieved. The results show that ontology supports the relationship between the organizational goal elements as an effort to measure organizational data in relation to the organizational goals.

Data are important to assist decision-making in relation to achieve the organization goal. However, the trustworthiness of organization data in achieving the organization goal is questioned because of the vast amount of organization data. The aim of this paper is to propose a modeling concept in an effort to develop an ontology model and metric model in the context of the organization goals conformance. In this paper, we propose these models as a tool to evaluate the organization data and it conformance in order to support managerial decision-making and thereby assist the organization to achieve its goals. We suggest that these models are important in an effort to evaluate the quality and relevant organization data. At the mean time, these models are important in measuring the extent that organization data are consistent with the organization goal. Ontology is important to improve understanding of the organization goal structure and relationship. We apply a case study to evaluate our organization goal ontology and metric model. The result shows that the organization goal relationships are connected based on ontology.